Heuchera plant named &#39;Zipper&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Heuchera  plant substantially as shown and described, characterized by large, glossy, very ruffled, golden amber to orange leaves, a medium plant size, insignificant flowers in spring, and good vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Heuchera hybrid

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Zipper’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera and given the cultivar name of ‘Zipper’. Heuchera is in the family Saxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘Zipper’ originated from a planned cross between Heuchera K580-8, a proprietary unreleased plant, as the seed parent, and Heuchera 148 as the pollen parent.

Compared to the seed parent, Heuchera K580-8, a proprietary unreleased plant, the new cultivar has amber rather than blue green foliage and insignificant flowers rather than pinkish white flowers. Compared to the pollen parent, Heuchera 148, the new cultivar has leaves that are larger, more ruffled, and more brightly colored.

Compared to Heuchera ‘Marmalade’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,945), the new cultivar has a smaller tighter habit, larger leaves that are more ruffled, glossy rather than matte, and holds the orange gold color all year rather than just orange in the spring.

This new Heuchera is distinguished by:

1. large, glossy, very ruffled, golden amber to orange leaves,

2. a medium plant size,

3. insignificant flowers in spring on short peduncles, and

4. good vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by stem cuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an 18 month-old Heuchera ‘Zipper’ growing in part sun in June in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows a close up of the flowers of Heuchera ‘Zipper’ in May in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 3 shows a 10 month old Heuchera ‘Zipper’ in the trial bed growing in full sun in November in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivar based on observations of 18 month-old specimens grown in the ground in the trial bed in shade in May in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to an average of 32° in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Form.—basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.         -   Size.—27 cm tall from top of the foliage to the ground and             36 cm wide.         -   Habit.—mound.         -   Vigor.—excellent.         -   Roots.—fibrous, freely branching, fine, and white in color;             roots develop easily from stem cuttings. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—simple.         -   Arrangement.—basal.         -   Shape.—broadly ovate to orbicular.         -   Lobing/division.—5 main lobes, with 3 to 5 shallow secondary             lobes.         -   Venation.—palmate.         -   Margins.—crenate and undulate.         -   Apex.—mucronulate.         -   Base.—cordate, lobes overlapping slightly at the base.         -   Blade size.—grows to 11 cm long and 11 cm wide.         -   Surface texture.—both sides glandular.         -   Petiole description.—grows to 18 cm long and 2.5 mm wide,             glandular, Greyed Orange 165A.         -   Leaf color.—spring topside closest to Greyed Orange 167A             with veins Greyed Red 182A at base to Greyed Orange 166D,             bottom side and top side edges Greyed Red 181 A; summer             through winter topside Greyed Orange 174A later lightening             to Greyed Yellow 164B, bottom side Greyed Red 181A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Size.—grows to 5 cm wide and 18 cm long.         -   Type.—thyrse.         -   Number of flowers per thyrse.—100 to 160 per thyrse.         -   Number of thyrse.—about 6 in spring bloom.         -   Peduncle.—grows to 35.5 cm tall, 6 mm wide at base, Greyed             Purple 183A, glandular hairs, with 4 to 9 petiolate leaves             (ovate, blades grow to 9 cm long and 8 cm wide, 5 to 8             lobed, margin biserrate, topside Greyed Orange 165C with             margins Greyed Purple 183A, bottom side Greyed Orange 165C             tinted Greyed Purple 183A, margins Greyed Purple 183A;             petioles to 13.5 cm long, glandular, Greyed Orange 165A).         -   Pedicel.—1 mm to 4 mm long, with glandular hairs, Yellow             Green 145D in shade and Greyed Red 181 B in sun.         -   Bloom period.—May in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—2 mm wide and 3 mm long.         -   Description.—glandular puberulent, ovoid.         -   Color.—Greyed Orange 166B. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—perfect.         -   Shape.—campanulate.         -   Size.—7 mm long and 7 mm wide.         -   Petal description.—5 in number, 4 mm long and less than 1 mm             wide, reflexed, spatulate with a clawed base, tip acute,             margin entire, glandular on top and bottom, White NN155C on             both sides.         -   Calyx description.—3.5 mm long and 4 mm wide, with 5 lobes,             widely spaced, divided ½ way to the base, glandular hairs on             outside, glabrous inside, tip acute, margin entire, both             sides top Yellow Green 147C tinted Greyed Orange 166B.         -   Stamen description.—5 in number, each 2.5 mm long, White             NN155C, anthers Yellow Orange 21C, no pollen, male sterile.         -   Pistil description.—one central two beaked pistil, 7 mm             long, Yellow Green 147C overall, ovary 2 mm long.         -   Fragrance.—none.         -   Lastingness.—each thyrse blooms for about 2 weeks on the             plant. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type.—two-beaked ovoid capsule.         -   Fertility.—low.         -   Color.—Greyed Brown 199C. -   Seed:     -   -   Shape.—linear.         -   Size.—2 mm long.         -   Color.—Black 202A. -   Disease and pest tolerance: Pest and disease resistance are typical     for this type of Heuchera. No known resistances. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated and described. 